My People

Vol. 18, Issue 8, August 2005

"If my people, who are called by My name, humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from
their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14

Need For "Decent Work For A
Decent Life" Challenges World

The 93rd
International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, considered challenges
facing individual nations and the international community in making progress
toward a society with greater dignity of life and employment
opportunities. On June 7, Mons. Silvano Tomasi addressed the conference on
behalf of the Vatican. His address follows:

"The future that challenges and confronts the international community and
individual countries is marked by an increasing awareness that only together we
can make progress and find the right path toward a truly human life. The
rapid pace of change may give rise to doubt and to the temptation of isolation
and momentarily derail the move forward. But the process of globalization
continues: making it inclusive and removing the obstacles that obstructs its
beneficial impact for all is the commitment that emerges from this 93rd
International Labor Conference.

"Clearly the spirit
of solidarity and of enterprise that flows from the unique tripartite
collaboration of states, workers, and employers shows a model of interdependence
that can enrich other international organizations in this moment of search for
reforms devoted to a more effective service to the whole human
family.

"The road towards a decent work for a decent
life in a world where the globalization of solidarity is an active agenda starts
indeed with young women and men and the promotion of their
employment.

"There is a sense of urgency to find a
response to the fact that globally less than half of the youth available for
work had jobs in 2004 and that an estimated 59 million young people aged 15 to
18 years are in hazardous forms of work.

"Already
John Paul II had asked during his visit to the ILO in 1982: can we
tolerate a situation in which many young people may find themselves without any
prospect of one day getting a job and which, at the very least, could leave them
with lifelong scars? (John Paul II, Address to the International Labor
Organization, June 15, 1982, n.12). In developing countries, lack of
innovative technologies makes it difficult to translate research findings into
productive initiatives. The priority to be given to education and
formation, especially in a knowledge-based economy, is evident. At the
same time, youth unemployment should be contextualized and the whole economic
structure of developing countries needs to be sustained in its evolution and
enabled to compete fairly in the world market.

"Decent jobs for young people have a critical pay off. Their creativity
supported by an adequate technical culture and a sound sense of responsibility
can make up for their limited experience and even open additional jobs through
the micro-enterprises they may launch with the granting of appropriate
credit. The communities, where young people are not employed, lose
hope. The creative energy of the young, not channeled toward productive
goals, is dispersed and wasted. In fact, the risk is unfortunately real
that lack of jobs and employment opportunities push the young into the
destructive underworld of drugs, violence, criminal activities and, even
terrorism.

"Speaking on May 1, 2005, to many workers
attending his first Sunday audience, the new Holy Father Benedict XVI underlined
how solidarity, justice, and peace should be 'the pillars on which to build the
unity of the human family.' He called on workers to witness in
contemporary society the 'Gospel of work.' 'I hope,' he added, 'that work
will be available, especially for young people, and that working conditions may
be ever more respectful of the dignity of the human
person.'

"The creation of decent work for all in a
sustainable world has been a long-standing common base for a fruitful dialogue
between the ILO and the social doctrine of the Church. It is the dignity
of every human person that requires access to work in condition of personal
security, health, fair remuneration, a safe environment. Work is a right
and the expression of human dignity. My Delegation, therefore, sees
unemployment as a 'real social disaster' and supports international
organizations, employers, labor unions, and governments to join forces,
strengthen juridical norms of protection, promote the implementation of existing
conventions. In such convergence of forces it is particularly significant to
recall that the last official audience scheduled by the late Pope John Paul II,
whose official visit to ILO and masterful encyclical on human work, Laborem
Exercens, remain a lasting contribution, had been for the ILO Director
General. And much appreciated has been the presence of the Director
General at the funeral of John Paul II and at the inauguration of Benedict XVI's
ministry. There is a shared vision that work is the motor for development and
poverty elimination, for unlocking the hidden resources of nature, for personal
and professional fulfillment and family support, for social participation in the
wellbeing of society.

"As a popular saying goes,
'Think globally, act locally,' fundamental principles and strategic objectives
need to be enfleshed in the daily existence of people to make a
difference. In the word of the Director General's Report, a common effort
is demanded 'to maintain and increase this advocacy of a decent work perspective
in economic and social policies locally, nationally, and internationally,' and
to implement decent work country programs so as to move in this positive
direction. However, a more determined outreach to the most vulnerable
categories of workers is called for. Coherent action against forced labor, at
the national level and in a collaborative mode with the international community
can eradicate this most indecent work which should have no place in the modern
world. The estimates provided for the first time at this Conference are
their own commentary: Today, at least 12.3 million people are victims of
forced labor worldwide. Of these, 9.8 million are exploited by private
agents, including more than 2.4 million in forced labor as a result of human
trafficking, a 32 billion dollar global business.

"Another 2.5 million are forced to work by the State or by rebel military
groups. (International Labor Office, A global alliance against forced labor,
Report I (B) International Labor Conference, 93rd Session 2005, p. 10).
Obviously the human person is treated as an instrument of production, his or her
freedom and dignity violated, the rights that flow from work stifled. When
work is isolated from the broader context of human rights, the worst forms of
exploitation take over.

"An important sign of the
continued dynamism of the ILO is its persevering commitment to focus on forced
labor as well as on all segments of the world of work that are most emarginated.
The workers of the sea have not been forgotten. For fishermen, a much
needed instrument that holds the potential for improving the life of 90% of
these most forgotten people, is the convention hopefully to be approved and
opened for ratification at this Conference. It is difficult, and therefore
a greater achievement, to produce a convention that will take into consideration
in a balanced way very different situations that go from the small fisher that
fishes with a net from his wooden boat for sustenance to the commercial fishing
vessels, some so sophisticated to be a processing factory on the waves of the
sea. Fishing is a complex and also dangerous profession with high
occupational accidents, deaths and injuries. The proposed convention:
'Work in the fishing sector,' and its recommendations, can make all kinds of
professional fishing safer and a decent workplace.

"For the first time, an integrated approach and framework is proposed for the
protection of workers against injuries and sickness related to their work.
The combination of norms, clear lines of responsibility and mechanism for
compliance should strengthen prevention and increase the wellbeing of workers
and their productivity. It is a dramatic realization to read that fatal and
non-fatal accidents are estimated at 270 million and that some 160 million
workers suffer from work-related diseases (International Labor Organization,
Promotional framework for occupational safety and health, 93rd Session 2005,
p.3). An instrument dealing with renewed commitment with occupational
safety and health seems really timely and opportune.

"Mr. President, new questions and problems are always arising as the economy,
technological advances, and the globalized organization of society
evolve.

"Work remains central in building up the
future. But protagonist of his work is the human person and safeguarding
his dignity and centrality in all new realities is the best guarantee for a more
just and peaceful world."

Compendium Offers Concise Presentation Of
Truths Of Faith

On June 28, the Vatican
presented the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In an
address, Pope Benedict XVI said:

". . .It sees the
light after the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in
1992. Since then, there has been an ever more widespread and pressing need
for a concise catechism that would contain all and only the essential,
fundamental elements of Catholic faith and morals, simply expressed in a way
that is clear, concise, and accessible to all. Moreover, it is precisely
in meeting this need that in the past 20 years numerous attempts at summing up
the above-mentioned Catechism have been made in various languages and countries,
some more successful than others. They brought up certain problems
concerning not only the fidelity to and respect of the structure and content,
but also the completeness and integrity of Catholic
teaching.

"Hence, the need arose for an
authoritative, reliable, and complete text on the essential aspects of the
Church's faith, in full harmony with the Catechism mentioned, approved by the
Pope and destined for the whole Church.

"The
participants in the International Catechetical Congress expressed this
widespread need in October 2002 and presented an explicit request to the Servant
of God John Paul II.

"It has been just over two
years since my Venerable Predecessor decided, in February 2003, on the drafting
of a Compendium of this kind, realizing that it would be good not only for the
universal and particular Churches, but also for today's world that is thirsting
for truth. These have been two years of intense and fruitful work.
All the Cardinals and the Presidents of the Bishops' Conferences have also been
involved. The vast majority, when questioned on one of the last drafts of
the Compendium, expressed a very positive opinion.

"Today, on the eve of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, 40 years after the
end of the Second Vatican Council, I feel deep joy in presenting this
Compendium, which I have approved, not only to all the members of the Church –
most of whose various members are represented here – but also to all of you who
are taking part in this solemn meeting.

"However,
through you, venerable brother cardinals, bishops, priests, catechists and lay
faithful, I would also like in spirit to consign this Compendium to every person
of good will who desires to know the unfathomable riches of the saving mystery
of Jesus Christ.

"It is not, of course, a new
Catechism, but a Compendium that faithfully reflects the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, which continues to be the source from which to draw for a
better understanding of the Compendium, the model to look at ceaselessly in
order to rediscover a harmonious and authentic explanation of Catholic faith and
morals, as well as a reference point that must encourage the proclamation of the
faith and the drafting of local catechisms.

"The
Catechism of the Catholic Church, therefore, keeps intact its full
authoritativeness and importance, and this synthesis will be an effective means
to make it better known and used as a fundamental vehicle of education in the
faith.

"This Compendium is a renewed proclamation of
the Gospel in our time. Furthermore, through this authoritative and
reliable text, 'let us carefully preserve the faith we received from the
Church,' in the words of St. Irenaeus whose liturgical Memorial we are
celebrating today, 'because under the action of God's Spirit, like a deposit of
great worth contained in a precious vase, it is continuously rejuvenating and
also rejuvenates the vase that contains it' (cf. Irenaeus of Lyons, Adversus
Haereses, 1, 10, 2; Sc 264, 158-160).

"The
Compendium presents the faith in Christ Jesus. Following the four-part structure
of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it actually presents Christ professed
as the only-begotten Son of the Father, the perfect Revealer of God's truth and
the definitive Savior of the world; Christ, celebrated in the sacraments as the
source and support of the life of the Church; Christ, listened to and followed
in obedience to His Commandments, as the source of new life in love and in
harmony; Christ, imitated in prayer, as the model and master of our prayerful
attitude to the Father.

"This faith is expounded in
the Compendium in the form of a dialogue. Thus, it intends to 'reproduce,' as I
wrote in the Introduction to the Compendium, 'an imaginary dialogue between
master and disciple through a series of incisive questions that invite the
reader to go deeper in discovering ever new aspects of his
faith.'

"'The dialogical format also lends itself to
brevity in the text by reducing it to the essential. This may help the
reader to grasp the contents and possibly to memorize them as well.' The
brevity of the answers fosters the essential synthesis and clarity of what is
being communicated.

"Images have also been
incorporated into the text at the beginning of the respective part or
section. This choice aims to illustrate the doctrinal content of the
Compendium: indeed, images 'proclaim the same message that Sacred Scripture
transmits through words and help to reawaken and nourish the faith of believers'
(Compendium, n. 240).

"Images and words are thus
mutually enlightening. Works of art always 'speak,' at least implicitly, of the
divine, of the infinite beauty of God, reflected in the Icon par excellence:
Christ the Lord, the Image of the invisible God.

"Sacred images, with their beauty, are also a Gospel proclamation and express
the splendor of the Catholic truth, illustrating the supreme harmony between the
good and the beautiful, between the via veritatis and the via pulchritudinis.
While they witness to the age-old and fruitful tradition of Christian art, they
urge one and all, believers and non-believers alike, to discover and contemplate
the inexhaustible fascination of the mystery of Redemption, giving an ever new
impulse to the lively process of its inculturation in
time.

"The same images are found in the various
translations of the Compendium. This will also be a way to identify and
recognize this text easily in the variety of languages: the one faith is
professed by each member of the faithful in the multiplicity of ecclesial and
cultural contexts.

"The text includes an Appendix at
the end which consists of several common prayers for the universal Church and
several catechetical formulas of the Catholic faith.

"The appropriate decision to add several prayers to conclude the Compendium is
an invitation to rediscover a common way of praying in the Church, not only
personally but also in community.

"In each one of
the translations, the majority of the prayers will also be presented in
Latin. Learning them, even in this language, will make it easier for the
Christian faithful who speak different languages to pray together, especially
when they meet for special circumstances. As I said in 1997, on the
occasion of the presentation to my Venerable Predecessor of the Typical Edition
in Latin of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 'Precisely in the
multiplicity of languages and cultures, Latin, for so many centuries the vehicle
and instrument of Christian culture, not only guarantees continuity with our
roots but continues to be as relevant as ever for strengthening the bonds of
unity of the faith in the communion of the Church.'

"I am truly grateful to everyone who has worked on the publication of this
important work, especially the Cardinal members of the special Commission and
the editors and experts: all those who have collaborated with great
dedication and competence. May the Lord God, Who sees all things, in His
infinite goodness reward them and bless them.

"May
this Compendium, the fruit of their efforts but above all a gift that God
bestows upon His Church in the third millennium, give a new impetus to
evangelization and catechesis, on which depend '[not] only her geographical
extension and numerical increase, but even more her inner growth and
correspondence with God's plan' (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n.
7).

"May Mary Most Holy and the Holy Apostles Peter
and Paul support with their intercession this hope for the good of the Church
and of humanity. . ."

IN DEFENSE OF LIFE

"Do Not Be Afraid"

Fred H. Summe, vice president of Northern Kentucky Right to Life

by Fred H. Summe

"Do not be afraid," was how Pope John
Paul II, upon being elected pope, greeted the people of Rome. Throughout
his pontificate, this apostle of life kept reminding the faithful throughout the
world of these words of Jesus.

For 2,000 years
Christians have pondered this expression, applying it to the circumstances of
their lives. Faced with persecution or oppression, with great economic
hardships or devastating diseases, Christians throughout time had the courage to
try to live out God's will. For them, this simple phrase, "Be not afraid,"
helped them let go of their fears and concerns in order to place their
confidence and trust in God.

Today, even in the
United States and Western Europe, among affluence and national security, there
is a fear that dominates our decisions.

This fear is
the fear of a child, arising from worries that we might not have enough material
goods, or the time and energy to enjoy them. A child has become a "threat"
to our "pursuit of happiness."

Concerns over
financial security, the desire to be constantly entertained, or the avoidance of
any pain or frustration, have led people to concentrate more and more on their
own well-being. Although one must be concerned about oneself, this concern
has grown out of proportion, dominating one's decision. A child, which
requires giving of one's self, is seen as an interference, an obstacle, or a
great burden.

From this fear, has arisen an attempt
to take more control of not only our lives, but of the lives that God has
intended to place in our lives. Instead of allowing God to decide how many
children one should have and how they are spaced, couples have looked to
artificial contraception to assist them in controlling the number of lives that
God wishes to bring into the world. When contraception fails, the same
fear of the child helps one to feel "justified" in killing a child through
abortion.

With abortion has come the so-called
homosexual "same sex" marriages, in vitro fertilization, cloning, human
experimentation, and the right to starve the disabled to death. Mankind is
again proving that once mankind rejects the principle that all human life is
sacred, then no human life is sacred.

The western
world has lost a basic principle of natural law that life is good and that all
human life should be supported and protected.

A Child is a
Gift

Only a few generations ago, a child was
considered a gift from God, a great blessing. As a mother of eight, my
mother would sometimes come home from an Altar Society function or a Mothers'
Club meeting with a gift for having the most children. Then again, many
times she would come in second or third. Other women, who may have less
children, gladly honored those to whom God had granted many
blessings.

Today, the announcement that a mother has
eight children would guarantee a barrage of comments such as, "Now, how are you
going to have enough love for all those children? The world is
overpopulated. Can't you control yourself?"

Is it
things that really make us happy, or is it the people with whom we share those
things? Do we long to go to a movie alone, or would we prefer to "just do
nothing" with a good friend? Isn't it other people that we need? As
the old song stated, "People who need people are the luckiest people in the
world."

If a couple truly loves each other, what is
better than for them to share that love with another new life. If a couple
considers a child a great joy to them, what greater gift can you give your child
than a brother or sister? Financial wealth they may someday attain for
themselves, but they can never give themselves a
sibling.

"Perhaps, sometimes, there is too much
planning, not enough love, not enough commitment to found and grow a family,"
writes Rita Joseph in Voices. This mother of 11 children, a lecturer at
John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Studies in Melbourne, Australia,
observes:

"In planning a family, we must be careful
to avoid the human arrogance and conceit that denies God's providence. . . and
so though it is relatively easy for well-educated men and women to articulate
and weigh reasons for choosing a career, a political party, a dog, a house, or
what to have for breakfast, choosing to have children is different.
Somehow we have to find the honesty and the humility to admit that it is really
a choice beyond our ken, this choice to bring to life another human
being.

"Procreation isn't a choice, it is a need,
perhaps the oldest, deepest, most fundamental need of humankind, a profoundly
compelling need to share the miracle of life.

"We
have a need to acknowledge the Creator to recognize that each child is pure
gift. . .Do we really think that God doesn't know the best gift to give us both
right now and in the long run? God's gifts are never arbitrary and
certainly never mistimed."

Be Afraid of
What?

So Christ told us, "Do not be
afraid." Be afraid of what? To this Jesus would surely answer, "To
love."

And what is love? Mother Teresa of
Calcutta answered this first by her example and then by her words, "Love is
giving until it hurts."

Isn't this what we are
afraid of? Loving a child requires giving until it hurts. Having
children does require a giving of oneself, a sacrifice of one's interest and
desires for another.

In her article, Mrs. Joseph
quoted St. Catherine of Siena concerning what the Lord had told her, "I have
placed you in the midst of your fellows that you may do to them that which you
cannot do to Me, that is to say, that you may love them of free grace, without
expecting any return. . ."

Each child is an
opportunity to love "of free grace." It is in the family where God asks
most of us to serve Him by loving our spouse, children, parents, in-laws, and
grandchildren.

Be not afraid, for a great joy
awaits those who love Him.

Debt Remission Could Be
Turning Point In International Development

On
July 1, Msgr. Celestino Migliore represented the Holy See at an ECOSOC meeting
in New York. This was prior to the G8 leaders meeting in Scotland July
6-8, where the leaders of the G8 nations voted to pursue the actions proposed by
G8 finance ministers and which are referred to in Msgr. Migliore's address,
which follows:

"The Holy See is pleased to associate
itself with those who support the accord reached in London recently by the G8
finance ministers to cancel the debts of 18 heavily indebted poor countries
(HIPC). In these last decades, the Holy See has been among the most
outspoken advocates of this kind of step, as expressed by the late Pope John
Paul II, who often raised his voice in favor of debt cancellation for the
world's poorest countries. For now, the London accord remains only a
proposal. The G8 leaders, meeting at Gleneagles on July 6-8, must now pay
attention to the demands of their own people and of civil society, and place
before their respective legislatures bills that will lead to the immediate
fulfillment of the accord's promises. In order to consolidate these achievements
and convert them into a kind of launch pad, we have to put them in
perspective.

"It cannot be ignored that, while
countries are quick to defend and promote whatever is perceived as in their own
interests, there is often a marked contrast with international financial
measures on behalf of the world's poorest countries. It must also be
acknowledged that the actual sums involved here are modest compared with the
vast military expenditure throughout the world and the subsidies that the
industrialized countries pay to sectors in their own economies, when often those
very subsidies are responsible for severe distortions in the world's poorest
countries.

"The Secretary-General's Report In Larger
Freedom and the draft declaration for the forthcoming UN summit of heads of
state in September 2005 both recall that the true guarantee of world security is
to be found in the development of the world's poorest countries and in that of
the more marginalized sectors in each of those countries. In other words, it is
a question of working at both inequality within individual countries and
inequality between different States.

"The debt
remission measures which one hopes to see effectively adopted by the
multilateral financial institutions are just the start of that path, first of
all because the measure in question needs to be extended to some 38 HIPC
countries. Secondly, if debt remission were implemented by diverting
financial resources from other aid programs and if there were no significant
increase in real ODA, the world would end up facing a situation worse than
before the measures adopted at Gleneagles.

"The
upcoming G8 meeting must show the world the magnanimity and breadth of vision of
its leaders, something which could serve as a solid and effective basis for a
broad consensus at the forthcoming Millennium+5 summit in
September.

"This year will also see the sixth
ministerial conference of the WTO taking place in Hong Kong in December. Debt
remission and the increase in ODA necessarily must be complemented by the
creation of an international trade system that is at the very least friendly
towards the most indebted countries, in the terms delineated at Doha. The
obligations undertaken by countries which are either very poor or have grave
structural deficiencies, for their part, must become flexible enough to promote
at home an economic development which is fully responsive to local social
requirements. Thus, the most industrialized countries – along with emerging
economies and more recent industrial powers – should not hesitate in allowing,
even favoring, concessions and privileges for extremely poor
countries.

"Finally, when talking of financing for
development, one cannot fail to mention the lack of financing for basic
scientific research and for the industrial development of pharmaceutical
products to combat the major tropical diseases such as malaria, as well as the
lack of research in favor of agriculture in poorer regions. There would
appear to be no point in waiting for private financing to invest in such fields,
since these are problems which do not concern directly the public of the
countries where the resources exist. What is needed is a generous
provision of public monies in favor of the many existing initiatives, like the
Global Fund for example, to promote an intensive and broad participation of the
world's scientific research institutes.

"The
multilateral political events of the second half of this year, starting with
this session of ECOSOC, could become an international turning point, in which
the financing of international development converts itself into the highest
international priority, if world leaders were able to move their Governments and
peoples. Thus all countries, developed and poor ones alike, would be able
to play their true part in the achievement of the MDGs. . ."

Disease
Continues To Plague Humanity

Cardinal Javier
Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, spoke to
the 58th Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 18, in Geneva,
Switzerland. His speech follows:

"I am pleased
to convey to the World Health Organization the cordial greetings of the new Pope
Benedict XVI. His Holiness is deeply concerned by the world's health
problems. He offers all his support and help to the global effort to obtain
health for all, especially the most defenseless, with priority to topics that
cause us the greatest concern today and to the health of mothers and children
above all.

"Unfortunately, diseases and infectious
diseases in particular are most virulent in the poorest countries which,
precisely because of their poverty, have no resources with which to obtain the
medicines that thanks to technological progress could easily provide a cure for
some of them.

"As a matter of fact, infectious
illnesses account for the death of 17 million people each year, 90 percent of
whom live in developing countries.

"For example, 95
percent of those infected with AIDS have no money to pay for
antiretrovirals. Today on the market of some of these countries it is
impossible even to find the medicines necessary to treat the so-called 'diseases
of the poor,' such as, for example, tuberculosis, malaria, smallpox, dengue
hemorrhagic fever, leishmaniasis, certain forms of meningitis, sleeping
sickness, etc.

"Recently, at the end of the 20th
century, only 13 of the 1,223 new medicines put on the market in the 22 years
between 1975 and 1997 were for the treatment of infectious tropical
diseases. The total cost of medicines throughout the world is estimated at
between $50 and $60 billion (U.S.) annually, and only 0.2 percent of this sum is
allocated to the treatment of respiratory ailments, tuberculosis, and diarrhea
infections.

"These diseases are thought to be the
cause of 18 percent of the deaths across the world (cf. Médecins sans frontière,
www.accessmed.sf.org).

"Together with these health
problems, with special reference to mother and child health, it is appalling to
note that out of 211 million new human beings conceived, there are 46 million
induced abortions, 32 million die prematurely or at birth, and only 133 million
are born and survive (WHO, The World Health Report 2005, Make every mother and
child count, 48-52).

"Mr. President, aware in the
Holy See of these and similar problems, Pope John Paul II set up 'The Good
Samaritan' Foundation to help the neediest sick in the world. The new Pope
Benedict XVI has been pleased to ratify this
Foundation.

"We are complying with its initial aim
by purchasing medicines for the neediest. To date, we have been able to
assist sick people in 11 countries in Africa, one in Asia, and another in Latin
America; 26.7 percent of the care centers for the sick with HIV/AIDS in the
world are served by the Catholic Church.

"In this
way we desire to cooperate in some way with the great task that the WHO is
carrying out, and in this health context, to contribute our endeavors to helping
in particular the poorest and neediest."

Approved Prayer For The
Intercession Of Pope John Paul II

O Holy Trinity,

we thank You for
having given to the Church Pope John Paul II, and for having made him shine with
Your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christ, and the splendor of
the Spirit of love.

He, trusting completely in Your infinite mercy and in
the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus
the Good Shepherd and has pointed out to us holiness as the path to reach
eternal communion with You.

Grant us, through his intercession, according
to Your will, the grace that we implore, in the hope that he will soon be
numbered among Your saints.

Amen.

Nuclear Disarmament Is Key
To Building A Culture Of Peace

Parties to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons met in New York to review
progress made under the treaty.

On May 4, Monsignor
Celestino Migliore made the following statement on behalf of the
Vatican:

"The Holy See adhered to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on February 25, 1971, convinced that
it was an important step forward in the creation of a system of general and
complete disarmament under effective international control, something that would
be possible only if it were completely observed both in detail and in its
entirety.

"After 35 years, the Treaty has become a
cornerstone in the global security framework since it has, to some extent,
helped slow the arms race. The fact that it has received an extremely high
number of adhesions, with 188 States Parties, shows the importance it has for
the international community. This is so by means of three pillars:
preventing the spread and proliferation of nuclear arms, promoting cooperation
in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and pursuing the objective of nuclear
disarmament which implicitly leads to general and complete disarmament. In
essence, the NPT promised a world in which nuclear weapons would be eliminated
and technological cooperation for development would be
widespread.

"A Review Conference of the NPT is
therefore a time to measure the progress of the international community in
achieving the goals of the Treaty. When the NPT was indefinitely extended
in 1995, the nuclear weapons States joined all other parties to the Treaty in
making three promises: a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty would be achieved
by 1996; negotiations on a treaty to ban the production of fissile material for
nuclear weapons would come to an 'early conclusion'; and 'systematic and
progressive efforts globally' to eliminate nuclear weapons would be made.
In 2000, all parties gave an 'unequivocal undertaking' to the elimination of
nuclear weapons through a program of 13 Practical Steps. Nevertheless, the
Preparatory Committee for the current Review Conference failed to achieve
consensus on the documents to be adopted now, which leads to concern for the
outcome of the Conference.

"With regard to the
1970s, when the NPT entered into force, there took place at the same time
profound social and geopolitical changes. An awareness began to grow of
the close correlation and interdependence between national and international
security, while new challenges sprang up, like transnational terrorism and the
illegal spread of materials for making weapons of mass destruction. These
are two phenomena which, among others, directly question the capacity of the NPT
to respond to new international challenges. In this regard, the Holy See
considers the General Assembly's adoption of the International Convention for
the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism as an important step forward. The
time has come to underline again the importance of observing the NPT in detail
and in its entirety.

"Since the Treaty is the only
multilateral legal instrument currently available, intended to bring about a
nuclear weapons free world, it must not be allowed to be weakened. Humanity
deserves no less than the full cooperation of all States on this grave
matter. The Holy See makes an appeal that the difficult and complex issues
of the Review Conference be addressed in an even-handed way. Measures taken at
this Review Conference, even if they are small steps forward, must be framed by
the overall goals of the Treaty. The Review Conference must not go
backwards by forgetting past commitments; it must advance the effectiveness of
the NPT.

"The world is rightly concerned about the
proliferation of nuclear weapons and attempts to redirect nuclear technologies
and fuels away from their peaceful use and towards nuclear weapons
instead. The non-proliferation side of the NPT must be strengthened
through increasing the capacity of the International Atomic Energy Agency to
detect any misuse of nuclear fuels. The compliance measures of the Treaty
must also be strengthened.

"But concentrating only
on non-proliferation measures distorts the meaning of the Treaty.
Compliance with its nuclear disarmament provisions is also required:
non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament are interdependent and mutually
reinforcing. The Holy See therefore calls upon the nuclear weapons States
to take a role of courageous leadership and political responsibility in
safeguarding the very integrity of the NPT and in creating a climate of trust,
transparency, and true cooperation, with a view to the concrete realization of a
culture of life and peace which will promote the integral development of the
world's peoples. Thus, in an effort to put priorities and hierarchies of
values in their proper place, a greater common effort must be made to mobilize
resources towards moral, cultural, and economic development so that humanity may
turn its back on the arms race.

"The time has gone
for finding ways to a 'balance in terror'; the time has come to re-examine the
whole strategy of nuclear deterrence. When the Holy See expressed its limited
acceptance of nuclear deterrence during the Cold War, it was with the clearly
stated condition that deterrence was only a step on the way towards progressive
nuclear disarmament. The Holy See has never countenanced nuclear
deterrence as a permanent measure, nor does it today when it is evident that
nuclear deterrence drives the development of ever newer nuclear arms, thus
preventing genuine nuclear disarmament.

"The Holy
See again emphasizes that the peace we seek in the 21st century cannot be
attained by relying on nuclear weapons. The century opened with a burst of
global terrorism, but this threat must not be allowed to undermine the precepts
of international humanitarian law, which is founded on the key principles of
limitation and proportionality. We must always remember that the use of
arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.
Nuclear weapons, even so-called 'low yield' weapons, endanger the processes of
life and can lead to extended nuclear conflict.

"Nuclear weapons assault life on the planet, they assault the planet itself, and
in so doing they assault the process of the continuing development of the
planet. The preservation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty demands an unequivocal
commitment to genuine nuclear disarmament.

"Therefore, the Holy See looks to all States Parties to the NPT to uphold the
integrity of the Treaty. All Parties should contribute to the success of
the Review Conference in preserving and strengthening the credibility of the
Treaty, so that it can be effective and lasting. In this way the culture
of peace can be advanced and the culture of war diminished, for the enduring
benefit of all humanity."

Pray
The News

Because we are sons and daughters of
God, saved by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we do not merely read the
news but make the news. We direct the course of world events by faith
expressed in action and intercession. Please pray for the stories covered
in this paper. Clip out this intercessory list and make it part of your daily
prayer.

We pray that World Youth Day will be
very fruitful.

We pray that workers will have
"decent work for a decent life."

We pray in
thanksgiving for the progress made in addressing the needs of poorer nations,
especially in Africa, and pray for continued
progress.

We pray for an end to violence and
war and that we would be builders of a culture of
peace.

We pray that the Compendium of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church will be utilized in spreading the
faith.

We pray for the sick and suffering to
receive compassionate care.

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Pray and ask the Holy Spirit what amount He would have you contribute.